Sensitivity Training
by Llama Lady Lily
Summary: Bullying is getting out of hand, and the students at McKinley are to undertake sensitivity training. Sensitive topics, themes and language.


**I'm not going to lie. It's a sensitive topic, and there'll be a smattering of offensive language throughout, but it deals with this exclusively. Also, in my mind, Sam is gay, which is important to the story. Kurt needs solidarity, or I'd have edited it out. There are a couple of small spoilers for the first couple of episodes of season two, but some of it's made up.**

**The story told within is more or less based on something at my school, as is the concept. If you're easily offended, I urge you to not read any further. There is no slash, unless you really, really squint.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, and receive no profit. I do, however, hope that someone gets something out of this story – a little more tolerance.**

Bullying was getting out of control at McKinley. Between the slushy facials, the pushing of pregnant women into lockers and the disgusting overuse of derogatory terms for people who desired the opposite sex, Figgins was starting to get worried.

When the new exchange student from the Philippines was sent to a crack house, and the new member of the football team was shaved bald, it was time to take action. On the advice of Emma Pillsbury, he came up with a new program.

"Sensitivity training? You're fucking joking?" Puck exclaimed when their homeroom teacher explained it to them.

"It'll be taking the place of your Tuesday last period," their teacher continued, who was an old hand at ignoring Puck's profanity.

"That's Glee!" Rachel protested.

Finn, who had his arm over the back of her chair, soothed her. "Mr. Schue might not even make us do it. We're all pretty sensitive."

He made them do it.

"Yes, guys! It's part of the required curriculum. Coach Bieste has Karofsky and Azimio in her class now. Are you honestly going to ask me to let you off when it's your benefit this is being done for?" he explained.

There was a bit of mumbling around the choir room at this. Puck's steady stream of swear words was distinguishable above the din.

First on the list was acceptance of homosexuals. Kurt winced at this. If this program even had a chance of working, this sensitive topic would be better if it was dealt with later in the year, once others had started to be accepted.

But they pressed on. The teachers had all been given a story to read out about a young man in his junior year. He was the star of the school's football team, tall, and attractive. He was also gay.

"When his team found out, they flushed his head down the toilet," Mr. Schuester continued, and Kurt hoped Coach Bieste wasn't giving his nemeses any ideas. Next to him, Sam ran his hand over his head, where his Bieber haircut used to sit before Azimio had gotten to him. "Every day, he received this treatment," he said, and put down the story for a moment. "I guess their swirlies were a bit like your slushies," and he returned to the story. "One day, he was in the showers after football practice, when the team suddenly cleared out of the locker room. When he left the shower, he discovered his team had taken his bag, and all of his clothes. With only a few stolen football pads for protection – bearing in mind it was two weeks before Christmas in North Dakota, so a few over freezing – he ran to his car. They'd taken all four of his tyres, smashed his windscreen, and spray-painted horrible words up the side of the car. When he looked over at the flagpole, he saw a new flag had been hoisted – it read 'Fags not welcome'."

There was utter silence in the room.

"He walked home in the freezing December winds, all but naked. Four miles later, it was dark in his house – his family weren't home yet. So he went into the bathroom, and slashed his wrists. He put blood all over the walls, until he was too weak to stand anymore."

He saw a tear leak down Rachel's cheek.

"His ten year old sister found him four hours later, in their bathroom that was dripping blood. He was dead."

He waited for a moment, and caught Kurt's sad eye before he delivered the last few words on the page.

"His name was Damien Pillsbury. Ms. Pillsbury's older brother."

There were a few shocked gasps from around the room. A few more tears fell down Rachel's cheeks, and Finn held her closer. Santana put her arm around a distraught Brittany. Sam stared him down determinedly, and took Kurt's hand in a platonic show of solidarity. Kurt was looking at the ceiling, willing tears not to fall, and Sam's camaraderie made one lone tear fall, before the others were pushed back. Puck, who had his face in his hands, looked up, and sat back in his chair in defeat. Mercedes put her hand on Tina's shoulder, because Artie had one hand, and Mike the other. Quinn was merely shocked, and crossed her arms across her chest, barring herself off from the world. She sat in the back corner next to Sam, and sent glances down at Puck, as though she hoped he'd make it better.

"Who uses that word?" Mr. Schuester asked. "Commonly. Who uses it?" They knew which one he meant. He was proud that no one put up their hand.

"Who has? In the context of the story, who's used it?" Puck, looking disgusted with himself, raised his hand first. Finn followed, with Mike next. To his shock, Tina put up her hand, and finally, Sam, too, raised his hand.

"I don't anymore," Finn said. "You... you live in a place like I lived, you learn quick smart." Kurt put a careful hand on Finn's shoulder in brotherly companionship, before leaning back into his seat.

"It's what you do on the football field," Sam said softly. "Like... like being gay, being a 'fag', it's wrong, or it makes you a bad football player. Sometimes, I think I was using it to get away from it." He pauses a moment, deliberating on his story. "My freshman year they had 'fag of the week' – they guy who had been the worst player. Coach stopped it, but I'll never forget it."

"They start early everywhere. From freshman year football camp, it's like an initiation. If you fall over in a run, drop a pass, don't get up after a tackle. That's what they call you. Suddenly, it's a spur. No one wants to be the 'fag'." Mike is saddened by his own words.

"Like it's a sign of weakness," Puck says, turning up his nose in further disgust. "It's one of the first thing out of someone's mouth when you're going for the nads – get up, you 'fag'." There was another pause. "I use a lot of words – a lot of f words – but I don't use that one anymore. Ever."

"I didn't know it would hurt anyone," Tina said. "It was just a word. The cool kids were using it, so I didn't think it mattered."

"If I may, Mr. Schue?" Kurt said softly.

"Go ahead, Kurt."

"That word... it doesn't make that much of a difference to me. Everyone said it. People still say it. I get it a lot. And I don't know... maybe this will make it stop, but maybe it'll make it worse. But in the end, it's just a word, and you can't let it get to you. Trust me. Damien, he wasn't hurt by the word, he was hurt by the malice behind it."

"It stops today," Finn vowed. "No one says it. From today, that word, that... that meaning... it's gone. It doesn't belong here."

"Or they answer to me," Puck agreed. "It's time to fight back."


End file.
